hey crafters and/or stationary pack-rats, this one is for you!

if you love to make your own greeting cards, then why not pass the fruits of your talents on to others?  operation write home is an organization that collects handmade cards and distributes them to our soldiers overseas so that they can write home!  it’s such an awesome thing for them to receive cards that have been crafted with them in mind, and it’s a nice reminder to their families that others appreciate the efforts of their loved ones!  check out this site for more info

everybody gives and/or receives cards at some point:  birthdays, christmas, anniversary, new home, whatever!  i used to need cards so frequently that i stocked up on them, and now i’m literally overrun with them.  i don’t want all those cards to go to waste, so i figured someone else might like them!  a quick look turned up this company, who accepts cards for redistribution and recycling.  you have to pay to ship them, though, so i kept searching and discovered that many nursing homes, schools, and church groups will take them.  unused cards can be used as is; they’ll also accept used cards, because they can remove the fronts and re-purpose them for crafts, gift tags, and projects.  

plus, getting extra miles out of those cards gives mamma nature a little break to rest her resources–bonus!

so, my aunt made a great point on facebook in reference to my post from yesterday, and i thought i would share it with you guys.

give blood!  hospitals can always, always use it, and you’ve got enough to let a little go.  it’s something you can give without having to crack open your wallet, and it’s (mostly) painless.  thanks, as always, to the internet it’s ridiculously easy to make an appointment to give, find a donation center, or get dates for mobile blood drives!  it took me less than ten seconds to search down the red cross blood drive and donation center locator.  how easy is that?!

be sweet, show some heart, and share a little life

 

this holiday season, i’m all about doing my part to encourage good cheer everywhere.  this year seems to have been particularly rough on so many people, but i still think we all have something that we could give of ourselves to make it just a little nicer for the world around us!

so here’s my first cheery idea:  donate your old phone to the national coalition against domestic violence.

i put this information up about once a year, and it’s a good day to do so as i just printed off the label for my last phone.  

you can use the link to print a postage-paid label (but it’s nice of you offset their costs by footing the shipping if you can).  the partnership they have with recellular, inc. allows the to re-purpose usable phones for emergency services, resell popular phones to raise funds, and properly dispose of older phones that aren’t compatible with today’s technology.  there are plenty of organizations who partner in this way, but this one qualifies as a tax deductible donation, so that’s nice perk.

it’s pretty much a win on all sides and only takes a few minutes!  plus, it’s pretty awesome to be able to gift a sense of safety, freedom, and an opportunity to rediscover personal strength and confidence.

**if domestic violence isn’t a huge cause for you, a quick web search can turn up numerous other causes that have cell phone collection partnerships.  there are ones for soldiers, senior citizens, even guide-dog training.  seriously.  don’t just throw it away!**

if you know me then you know that i enjoy constantly tinkering with home interiors.  my home, my parents’ home, the homes of other family members or friends–pretty much any location where i’ve spent a lot of time is in danger of being mentally rearranged.  so when it came to needing a desk for school and work i couldn’t have been more ready for a project.  months of spending every moment of my life on serious business had left me artistically drained, and creating a new space was just the thing to recharge me!

that’s been my project for a week now.  if i think the new space is worth some pictures, i’ll post one or two.  so far, i’m pretty close to being finished.  i guess there’s still about a quarter of the room worth of stuff that needs to be placed, replaced, or displaced–a task for this week, but one that comes behind in my list of priorities after things like putting up the christmas tree (a week-long affair, lol) and packing up the last of my extraneous art stuff.  

and monday begins the job hunt.  please, please, please keep me in mind on that.  i busted my butt with all my coursework and have the skills and grades to prove it, for sure, i just need the right place to look at me at the right moment.  i’m trying to stay mindful of my whole *creating your own reality* concept, but it’s tough when i know how the grad school search went.  ugh.  i hate hoops.

so…yeah, i guess that’s pretty much it.  a very, very random post, i know.  i’m just taking a break from working on the place and thought i’d chat a bit about what i was up to

i’ll be back around soon, i’m sure!

yesterday after the perfunctory meal preparation/consumption, rounds of family visits, and careful avoidance of mounds of leftovers, lex an i discussed the possibilities of the black friday experience.  in the past i’ve been known to go to wal*mart just to gawk at the crazies, but i’ve never been one to set out with a mission in mind–i like to preemptively protect myself from the disappointments of missing out on that perfect deal–and the succeeding overwhelming desire for cunning manipulation (or all-out death-and-destruction style vengeance.)

i’d made entirely random mention at some point that it could be fun to go check out the madness, but by the time it got close to midnight there was a massive plan afoot.  the mission:  a wireless streaming capable blu-ray player and an lcd tv.  uh oh.  that found lex and me on the road to target somewhere between midnight and one o’clock.  by the time we got there a considerable line had formed–but we thought our chances still seemed good.  we waited until the doors opened (at 4:00 a.m.) but the wait wasn’t terrible.  we were in line amongst people who provided both decent companionship and excellent behind-the-hand snark.  i didn’t even have to unearth the pig playing cards from my purse to keep us occupied.

when the doors finally opened, we hit the store like a shot.  we’d come up with an elaborate scheme to get to the area we needed to access–but we just weren’t quite close enough in line to make it to the tv we’d gone for.  instead, we came upon the empty pallets just in time to see a middle-aged woman gathering three of them around her.  i’ll be honest, after the thrilling adrenaline kick of racing for those pallets, i was ready to snatch one and make off with it.  if i’d been positive that i could’ve carried it by myself (and made it through check-out and out of the store without being confronted by the security detail, i’d have done it.  lex took the wiser route, calling out to a zone manager, “hey.  is she really allowed to just do that?”  the managed just sorta shrugged, obviously having been warned not to piss anyone off.  but the lady, oooooohhhhh, the lady!  she gave lex the most evil sneering look and said in a nasty voice, “i have two other people with me.  they just have to get carts.”

now.  let me say something.  you can say pretty much anything to me, and–in general–i’ll take it in stride.  true, i may brood about it and vent my thoughts to one trusted soul (lex) later.  but i don’t usually just launch back a volley of attacks if confronted–or i’m at least wise enough to walk away before the cops come.

that being said, do not.  DO NOT.  mess with my man.  seriously.  if you say one word to him that could be construed, in my mind, as cross, then you should be prepared for my wrath.  i don’t know what it is that makes me so endlessly and entirely devoted to that concept; all i’m saying is that you’d be safest if you took heed of the warning.

this lady, having been so unnecessarily rude to lex, immediately became my arch enemy.  i had to walk away immediately just so i wouldn’t go over, grab one of those tvs, and break it over her head.  in that moment, i was ready to revoke my good nature in favor of a bit of the old ultra-violence.  after a few moments of (not completely successfully) clearing my thoughts, i started a new mission:  following her little troupe of three tvs in carts around the store…just waiting for one of those people to leave their cart unattended for a moment.  i can be crafty and swift when the situation demands it, and i’d have been at my finest point!  thankfully for my karma, i didn’t manage to find enough of a window to carry out that (marginally) evil deed.

completely distraught over the fact that lex had lost out on the deal, i joined him in the mini.  i was so frustrated and bummed.  but we still had a little time to see about snagging the next round of deals, so we headed to wally.

success!  we managed to snag a blu-ray player from a wrapped stack in electronics and wander off to a different part of the store before anyone could make us put it back.  we also discovered that the line for the second option tv looked fairly promising.  within thirty minutes there, we had everything we needed.  no cranky, vile woman being terrible to my sweetie; no terrible, disorganized rush of panicked patrons towards severely limited products.

the longest wait we had was the line to check out with a last minute grab–a much-needed hdmi cable  

in general, i’ll bash wally all day long.  it frustrates me that it’s basically the only place within 30 miles to get everything you need for day to day life.  plus, right now i’ll take the hits to my conscience if it means that i spend even a buck less per week.  every cent counts at the moment!  i have to say, though, that their black friday procedures were developed by an extremely consumer-conscious individual.  target’s process seemed to have been the chore of someone who took a nap until the last minute then woke up in a panic before coming to the conclusion that preparing for black friday wasn’t really a huge deal.

lex had received a receipt ticket that would allow us to take the car around to have the tv loaded by some staffers.  thank goodness the deal he got wasn’t for a tv that was an inch bigger!  the box just barely fit into the back of the mini.  let’s put it this way, the seats were definitely in the default position!  the laughs we shared with the guys who managed to make that work were those of two very giddy, sleep-starved, adrenaline-pumped individuals after having completed an improbable task.

anyway, very long story made very short:  like everything lex gets me into, black friday turned out to be a wild adventure.  we made it home by 6:30 a.m. with everything lex needed to set up an entertainment center for the living room, and he’s already got it all hooked up and fixed up and perfect!  we watched a few random minutes of various things to see how the picture was, but we finally ended up settling down to an episode of mxc–followed by an original episode of takeshi’s castle.  fun!!

i won’t ever pretend:  i’d totally wear it.

after the long day and the crazy night, it was so awesome to be able to curl up with him and enjoy the final product of the deals we managed to snag.

so here’s to you, black friday–i’m not exactly certain that i’d like to make a thing of it, but i guess if you’re really up to something good next year we might meet again.

 

ahh, thanksgiving:  the family and friends!  the festive cornucopia!  the fifty-six pound turkey!  

in general, a meal centering around a massive bird is not an event that will bring the vegans a-runnin to the table.  as i constantly try to illustrate, i take every stride i can to be a kind vegan.  i don’t expect the rest of the world to cater to me–i know i’m in the minority, and–moreover–i chose the lifestyle.  why would i want to impose myself?  besides, you’ve seen ugly vegans.  do they have a chance at making you want to change your mind about a cheeseburger?  pfft.

i’m lucky to have a family who was laid back about making concessions:  no, the green beans do not have to have ham in them.  likewise, the corn does not need to be pre-buttered.  my grandmother, bless her country heart, even went to the trouble of coming up with a vegan gravy recipe.  i mean, really, i have an amazing family, which is something i can easily be thankful for at thanksgiving.  

i have never minded, though, fending for myself.  i feel like it’s the responsible thing to do.  i still like to contribute to the family feast, and in previous years of vegetarianism i was always in charge of the green bean casserole.  this year when it came time to talk…well…turkey…i offered that i could still do the green beans–if my family would be willing to try them in vegan form.  mom, ever supportive of even my oddest whims, gave me the go-ahead.

the ingredients of green bean casserole are, basically, cream of mushroom soup (not vegan), milk (not vegan), green beans, and french’s french fried onions (surprisingly, vegan*).  last year, i used soymilk, so everything was vegan except for the soup.  which brought me to this year.  full-on vegan and in need of a substitute.  thanks to places like earthfare, you can actually find items like vegan cream of mushroom soup.  but i didn’t want to make the trip–when i could make a culinary adventure out of it instead!

so, tonight, i played in the kitchen and ended up with the most amazing soup that–i think–even a non-vegan could love.  i adapted it for my own use from a recipe that i found here.  i’m going to use it in the green bean casserole tomorrow, and i’ll let you know how that turns out.  but for now, i have to share the recipe, because it is to die for.

vegan cream of mushroom soup

13 oz. canned mushrooms (drained, but save the liquid!)

liquid from mushrooms

1 c. silk pure almond milk (original)

5 tsp cornstarch

1/3 onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1)  mix the mushroom liquid with enough water to make 1 cup.  mix this with the milk in whatever pot makes you comfortable.

2)  remove about 1/2 of the liquid and gradually mix the corn starch with it.

3)  return liquid/corn starch mix to pot and add onion and garlic.  mix well.  heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  cook until it thickens to your taste.  add salt and pepper to taste.

4)  add the mushrooms.  (i cooked mine a bit after i added them, just to soften them up a bit.)

store, covered, in the fridge.  should keep for a few days.

 

i know it kinda looks like puke.  but it tastes delicious, i promise!

one of the best parts?  super low-calorie and almost fat free!  (in fact, if you change the brand and type of soy/almond/rice milk, you could make the stats even lower.)  using these ingredients in these measurements, mine came to 350 calories and 2.5 grams of fat for the whole pot.  seriously.  the whole pot.  and that’s why it’s tough to meet a calorie burn as a vegan.

if you give it a shot and totally love it, please let me know.  if you don’t, well…you suck 

happy thanks-g-day everybody.  i’ll see you again soon!

*the packaging states that they’re processed on equipment that is also used to process things that contain milk.  in general, i let this slide.  (i like peta’s stance on the *accidentally vegan* foods:  a company that specializes in non-vegan foods, who also happens to make something that is surprisingly vegan, is okay to support for the fact that they made the effort.)

ahh, it’s good to be back.  the things i have to share with you!  rants, ravings, fun in the kitchen and on the road–it’s all about to happen right here!  in fact, heck, we’ll just get down to business!

for a few months now i’ve been itching to get back into the habit of cooking fresh.  with school and family and general life getting priority over fun stuff like blogging and sewing tiny, stuffed piggies, i’ve been a little preoccupied.  thus, i’ve lived off of cereal, the occasional sandwich, and rings and tots on survivor night.  yeah, uber healthy, right?  but, hey, i’ve managed to shoot through a ten-month course in less than four months.  i’ll take the poor karma stomach bomb for that.

anyway, with things starting to get a little more under control, i thought i’d celebrate by getting back into the kitchen.  and thanks to an awesome boyfriend, three very…um…helpful?…cats, and a few extra minutes of free time, this week has been an excellent culinary adventure!

first up:  avocado salad!

when lex and i were in florida, we hit up a local mexican joint that served the most incredible guacamole dip ever.  it wasn’t blended smooth; instead it was chunks of avocado, onion, jalapeño, and fresh sprigs of cilantro–more like the avocado salad on the salsa bar at our local mexican go-to.  it was fresh and hot as hell, lol.  we analyzed it to death while we were in the restaurant and it seemed super easy, so we gave it a shot.  the recipe isn’t quite complete yet…there’s something that wasn’t quite spot on, but it’s a good start, definitely tweakable.  if you give it a shot and come up with some awesome missing measurement or ingredient, let me know!

fresh avocado salad

2 hass avocados

1 roma tomato

1/3 small onion

2 jalapeños

1/4 lime, juiced

salt, pepper, and fresh chopped cilantro to taste

1)  peel and chop avocados; chop tomato, onion, and jalapeños.

2)  combine all in bowl with lime juice

3)  add salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste

enjoy!

fresh avocado salad and homemade tortilla chips.  yum!

 

yeah, i’m chiding myself.  i’ve been (yet again) bad about updating around here.  and it’s still for the same reasons:  school all day and all night leaves me with very little spare time, my computer is in a sad, sad state, blah blah blah.

true, my days are crazy.  i’m up anywhere around 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., depending on my mood, and i usually don’t stop running full speed until somewhere between 10:30 p.m. and midnight.  in my waking hours i go to school, help my family, clean myself, clean up around here, locate food, and attempt to keep my head on straight.  i love being busy, don’t get me wrong, but i’d like a little bit of time on my hands to do the things i like to do.  like blog.  and cook.  and play games.  and watch something on tv (or hulu, in my case) without feeling like i should be doing something else with that time.  it’s frustrating, but from what i hear, that’s sorta what you get from adulthood to death.  oh joy.

i don’t mean to sound so cynical and grumpy about it.  i’m making great strides to better the time situation, and i’m actually starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!  i’ll be wrapping up my class hours next week–if i stay on the schedule i’m on right now, i’ll actually finish two days earlier than the four month deadline i set for myself.  i’m really proud of that.  it’s a substantial personal testament to the fact that i still have the discipline to push myself to the next level, and i won’t deny that it makes me feel pretty damn good about me

i’ve already done a heap of research into job opportunities, and i’ll be jumping on those as soon as i’m finished with my course stuff.  as soon as my apps. are out, i’m going to jump into the extra transcription hours i’ve got–my program includes a completely separate program that you can use on your own time to supplement your training, and i’m all over that.  and when i finish those?  well, i’ll go back and type the ones from my classes, if i need to.  anything to stay active with my typing and stay on top of my training.  fingers crossed, thoughts thought, and prayers said for these job opportunities i’ve found, though.  there are a couple that i’m really, really excited about and hopeful for.  we’ll see.

the nice thing about actually having a real job again is the solid hours.  that tidy little block of time carved out of the day somehow gives more freedom than it would seem.  and there’s always the money.  you know how it is.

and on a continued positive note, the computer thing won’t be such a plaque for much longer.  i’m getting a spandy new machine in december.  probably placing the order today, actually.  i’m thrilled!  i’ve been an excellent sport when it comes to putting up with seriously dated technology, and i feel like i have earned this reward.  it’ll be nice to have a computer that doesn’t scratch its head and shrug when i try to open ms word.  i mean, really.  i know people who’ve gone through two or three computers while i’ve had this one.  so i don’t feel bad when i thrill about some new specs

so, i guess all of that is basically to say this:  i miss you, blog.  i miss you, readers.  and i promise that i’m working on our relationship.  i’ll be back in the full swing of things soon.  i really will.  and i can hardly wait!